Once the poster child for ENDANGERED species, conservation efforts helped bring giant pandas back from the brink. But with less than 2,000 left in the world, it is not out of the woods yet.
For centuries, giant pandas once inhabited southern and eastern China, Vietnam and Myanmar. But habitat loss, reduction in food supplies and human population growth, now limits their range to a few Chinese provinces. While IUCN updated their classification of giant pandas from ENDANGERED to vulnerable, there is still concern for the future of the species, funding is still critically needed.
Wild Facts:
- Though classified as a carnivore, giant pandas eat almost exclusively bamboo. Their cute, puffy cheeks are large muscles that help them chew, and an extended wrist bone and opposable thumb allows them to grip their food more easily.
- A giant panda cub is the size of a pencil when born. They stay with their mothers until their are 18 months old.
- Unlike other bears, giant pandas do not have permanent dens, store fat, and they don’t hibernate in the winter.
A conservation success — and more work to do
Giant pandas are proof conservation works. Classified as ENDANGERED in the 1980s, captive breeding programs and habitat restoration projects helped achieve giant panda population growth. By 2014, giant panda numbers increased by 700; and in 2023, the IUCN downgraded the giant panda to vulnerable. As we celebrate these conservation triumphs, it's still crucial we recognize the ongoing commitment needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of panda populations and their habitats.
Be a part of the effort to protect pandas. Set up a monthly donation with VAKOVAKO to support the work of vital wildlife conservation organizations.
